The more I study about Moses and his leading the Israelites out of Egypt, the more respect I have for him. It took some prodding from God and giving him his brother Aaron to help him get started (Exodus 4). It took his father-in-law’s wisdom to appoint officials to hear complaints from the people so Moses didn’t have to spend all day settling disputes (Exodus 18). But it was Moses who regularly talked with God and who, with God’s guidance and help, led the people who likely numbered near 2 million (600 thousand men age 20 and over, the Levites, plus women and children).
At first, the people were excited to be free from slavery in Egypt. But it wasn’t long before they began complaining about living conditions and lack of food and/or water. I can’t fathom leading 2 million people on a camping trip in the desert for a week, let alone 40 years. But here is Moses, being faithful to God, leading these people. It is no wonder to me that Moses is saying, “Why have you brought this trouble on your servant? What have I done to displease you that you put the burden of all these people on me? Did I conceive all these people? Did I give them birth? Why do you tell me to carry them in my arms, as a nurse carries an infant, to the land you promised on oath to their forefathers? Where can I get meat for all these people? They keep wailing to me, 'Give us meat to eat!' I cannot carry all these people by myself; the burden is too heavy for me. If this is how you are going to treat me, put me to death right now—if I have found favor in your eyes—and do not let me face my own ruin." Numbers 11:11-15
I wonder if I would have had the guts to even start out. Moses is thinking about giving up here. He is asking God to cut him loose from the burden he is carrying. Why doesn’t anyone see that it is a huge burden and step up to help him? The people begin to see Moses as the enemy rather than their leader and helper. It is a very painful place to be in leadership. There is much to be learned from how God and Moses handled the problems.
Moses, with God’s help, demonstrated great leadership by having set up an order to traveling and stopping. They were organized by tribes and each had a place to be when they stopped, arranged around the Tabernacle, and a place to be when they traveled, order in line. As they left in order, they opened a space for the Tabernacle and the Holy things as they moved them out. And as they settled, they moved in in order to make space for the Tabernacle and then enclose around it. It was like a chorus getting into place on the risers on stage and leaving in order when they have completed their program. Only this is about 2 million people rather than 40-50.
Even with this all in place and working, the people get hot, tired, hungry, thirsty and testy. And they think Moses should fix it. And so Moses cries to God, “The burden is too heavy for me.” Numbers 11:14 Since the people did not come forth to help Moses on their own, God tells Moses, “Bring me seventy of Israel's elders who are known to you as leaders and officials among the people. Have them come to the Tent of Meeting, that they may stand there with you. I will come down and speak with you there, and I will take of the Spirit that is on you and put the Spirit on them. They will help you carry the burden of the people so that you will not have to carry it alone.” Numbers 11:16-17
Now we have middle management and the people have someone else to wail at besides Moses. And then God says, “Okay, I’ll provide meat for you all. In fact, I’ll provide so much you’ll get sick of it!” (Numbers 11:18-20)
Rather than saying, “Thank you. Now there will be some peace again for a few days,” Moses says, “Where is all the meat going to come from? How can we feed this many people meat every day?” (Numbers 11:21-22)
“The Lord answered Moses, ‘Is the Lord’s arm too short? You will now see whether or not what I say will come true for you.’” Numbers 11:23 And God did provide enough quail for all to eat and be filled.
This is not only a story of God providing meat for the Israelites in the desert. It is a story of a leader who is burned out. It is easy to be confident in our leadership when people are following and everything is going well. But when people bulk, complain, or in this case wail, it is a different story. Suddenly, our world falls apart and we want out. It was not only the people not trusting God for provision, it was Moses not trusting God to get him through this. Not that I blame Moses in any way for his reaction at that point. It was a very human response. But I can learn from him and from how God dealt with it, that God can be trusted. His arm is not too short. He can deal with the worst of circumstances and get us through it. And so, regarding my ability to trust God to take care of things, I say with the man in the New Testament who asked Jesus for healing for his son, “Lord, I believe. Help my unbelief.” Mark 9:24
I’m so glad these rough times have been documented in the Bible as well as the good times. It gives me hope and builds my trust in a God who can reach down into any situation I find myself in and give me just what I need to not only get through that day, but to thrive – to become stronger and better for having gone through it. I hope the next time I find myself burning out I can reach up to God and trust him to get me through rather than complaining and wailing about the burden being too much.
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Friday, June 25, 2010
Not Even a Hint
God is a holy God. There is no room for impurity in his presence. Before Jesus came to offer us a way back to God, the Law gave the people a way for restitution. One particular area of the Law covered unfaithfulness to one’s spouse and jealousy regarding one’s spouse. “… and if feelings of jealousy come over her husband and he suspects his wife and she is impure – or if he is jealous and suspects her even though she is not impure – then he is to take his wife to the priest…” Numbers 5:14-15
The Law goes on to state that a curse will be put over the woman and if she is guilty, “may the Lord cause your people to curse and denounce you when he causes your thigh to waste away and your abdomen to swell.” Numbers 5:21
I wonder if the women at that time were very careful to not cause their husbands to become jealous. This would mean absolutely no flirting, no making eyes or even letting oneself think of sexual sin let alone participate in it.
Today, emotional and sexual encounters outside of marriage are commonplace in our society. Movies, billboards, and even email coming into our personal accounts flaunt it and invite people to participate in uncommitted, lustful encounters. People are no longer looked down on for this kind of behavior. Rather, they are encouraged. Couples sometimes purposefully try to make each other jealous with flirtatious behavior to check out how much the other loves them. And many find that behavior ‘cute’ and acceptable.
Obviously, we are far from being a holy people living the way God intended for us to live. Jesus taught, “But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” Matthew 5:28 I’m pretty sure that is true for women as well in how they look at men.
I wonder how much stronger marriages would be and how much less divorce would occur if we as Christians could abide by this simple rule. “But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God's holy people.” Ephesians 5:3
If I want my marriage to be strong and to survive, I need to keep my focus on my spouse and not let my eyes wander. I need to look to my spouse for the deep relationship that God intends for us to have. Even when we argue or disappoint each other, my focus needs to be on repairing the relationship, not fleeing it. Forgiveness, not jealously, is the way back to full relationship.
I’m pretty sure the Laws on jealousy are not something Moses made up because he was tired listening to men complain about their wives. It seems God has had in mind right from the beginning of time that “a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh.” Genesis 3:24 God’s best for us is to keep focused on each other and keep jealousy totally out of the equation. There is no room for jealousy in a godly relationship – not even a hint!
The Law goes on to state that a curse will be put over the woman and if she is guilty, “may the Lord cause your people to curse and denounce you when he causes your thigh to waste away and your abdomen to swell.” Numbers 5:21
I wonder if the women at that time were very careful to not cause their husbands to become jealous. This would mean absolutely no flirting, no making eyes or even letting oneself think of sexual sin let alone participate in it.
Today, emotional and sexual encounters outside of marriage are commonplace in our society. Movies, billboards, and even email coming into our personal accounts flaunt it and invite people to participate in uncommitted, lustful encounters. People are no longer looked down on for this kind of behavior. Rather, they are encouraged. Couples sometimes purposefully try to make each other jealous with flirtatious behavior to check out how much the other loves them. And many find that behavior ‘cute’ and acceptable.
Obviously, we are far from being a holy people living the way God intended for us to live. Jesus taught, “But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” Matthew 5:28 I’m pretty sure that is true for women as well in how they look at men.
I wonder how much stronger marriages would be and how much less divorce would occur if we as Christians could abide by this simple rule. “But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God's holy people.” Ephesians 5:3
If I want my marriage to be strong and to survive, I need to keep my focus on my spouse and not let my eyes wander. I need to look to my spouse for the deep relationship that God intends for us to have. Even when we argue or disappoint each other, my focus needs to be on repairing the relationship, not fleeing it. Forgiveness, not jealously, is the way back to full relationship.
I’m pretty sure the Laws on jealousy are not something Moses made up because he was tired listening to men complain about their wives. It seems God has had in mind right from the beginning of time that “a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh.” Genesis 3:24 God’s best for us is to keep focused on each other and keep jealousy totally out of the equation. There is no room for jealousy in a godly relationship – not even a hint!
Friday, June 18, 2010
When Leaders Fall
On my way through this faster read of the Bible, I am seeing something I don’t think I noticed before. I seem to be focusing on leaders as real people rather than just as people God called out and blessed and to whom God gave extra abilities – supernatural powers. These real people faced real decisions and some made good ones and some made poor ones. They faced real temptations and some rose above them and some fell. Rather than aggrandizing these leaders, I am beginning to understand how hard it was to be in their position.
For instance, think about Moses for a moment. He was called to lead Israel out of Egypt. He gave up his comfortable life with his family and put his life on the line as he approached Pharaoh time after time carrying out God’s plagues on Egypt. Then he took over a million people on a 40 year camping trip in the desert without much in the way food supplies. I can’t imagine walking in his shoes. Yet, he followed God closely and didn’t become proud of his position.
Joshua followed Moses and had to find a way to energize and encourage the people to move forward and take the land God had given them. There were giants in the way. Yet he followed God closely and led Israel into the promised land.
And then fast forward to Samuel. He was separated from his mother and father at a very young age and taught to serve God. He was wise and the people listened to him, but his sons didn’t. I wonder if he overcompensated and spoiled his sons because he had suffered such emotional loss early in life. At any rate, there was no one to follow in his footsteps and the people asked for a king.
Saul was selected to be their king. He came into kingship humble and not sure how he was chosen out of all the people. But as he led the people into battle and was successful, he began to forget that it was God’s hand that made him successful and began to think it was his own hand and his own brilliance that made him deserve the kingship. He began to like his position and wanted to keep it, so he thought he needed to please the people rather than teaching the people to follow God.
I wonder if that was his downfall. His devotion turned from God to himself and the people. “Then Saul said to Samuel, ‘I have sinned. I violated the Lord’s command and your instructions. I was afraid of the people and so I gave in to them.” I Samuel 15:24 I wonder if Saul also wanted to be known throughout the world as a great king and thought he could get there his way rather than God’s way.
God saw that Saul’s heart had left him and could no longer use Saul as king of his people. I wonder how many leaders in our churches suffer from ‘Saul syndrome’. They begin their ministry really in touch with God and wanting to lead the people to God’s throne. And as their churches grow and people tell them how good they are, their focus changes from pleasing God and teaching his Word to pleasing the people and keeping them happy and coming back so they can have a big church and look good in the eyes of their peers and their congregations.
I would venture to guess that before every fall of a church leader, erosion occurred in their thinking. Rather than seeing themselves as servants of the Most High God, they began to see themselves as pretty smart and deserving of the praise they get from people. And since it feels good to get praise from others, they keep finding ways to get praise from people rather than from God. Sometimes they even go so far as to think they have special power over the people. They become the king in their little kingdom.
Saul had everything. He was tall, good looking, and chosen by God to be king. But he forgot his place and began to think he was a god and could do whatever he wanted. In fact, sometimes he thought he was smarter than God himself and didn’t follow the instructions he was given from God. I believe that was his downfall. And when confronted by Samuel, he blamed the people rather than confessing his own sin. In that slippery slide, he went from being used powerfully by God to being useless to God.
That is frightening. Leadership is a scary thing! Success is something we strive for, yet it is success that can cause us to not see we are standing on the edge of a cliff and we walk right over the edge.
Oh Lord, help me to never be confused about where success comes from. It is from your hand and not from mine. My desire is to labor with you and to follow your leading, to remain humble before you. All that I am comes from you and belongs to you. Amen.
For instance, think about Moses for a moment. He was called to lead Israel out of Egypt. He gave up his comfortable life with his family and put his life on the line as he approached Pharaoh time after time carrying out God’s plagues on Egypt. Then he took over a million people on a 40 year camping trip in the desert without much in the way food supplies. I can’t imagine walking in his shoes. Yet, he followed God closely and didn’t become proud of his position.
Joshua followed Moses and had to find a way to energize and encourage the people to move forward and take the land God had given them. There were giants in the way. Yet he followed God closely and led Israel into the promised land.
And then fast forward to Samuel. He was separated from his mother and father at a very young age and taught to serve God. He was wise and the people listened to him, but his sons didn’t. I wonder if he overcompensated and spoiled his sons because he had suffered such emotional loss early in life. At any rate, there was no one to follow in his footsteps and the people asked for a king.
Saul was selected to be their king. He came into kingship humble and not sure how he was chosen out of all the people. But as he led the people into battle and was successful, he began to forget that it was God’s hand that made him successful and began to think it was his own hand and his own brilliance that made him deserve the kingship. He began to like his position and wanted to keep it, so he thought he needed to please the people rather than teaching the people to follow God.
I wonder if that was his downfall. His devotion turned from God to himself and the people. “Then Saul said to Samuel, ‘I have sinned. I violated the Lord’s command and your instructions. I was afraid of the people and so I gave in to them.” I Samuel 15:24 I wonder if Saul also wanted to be known throughout the world as a great king and thought he could get there his way rather than God’s way.
God saw that Saul’s heart had left him and could no longer use Saul as king of his people. I wonder how many leaders in our churches suffer from ‘Saul syndrome’. They begin their ministry really in touch with God and wanting to lead the people to God’s throne. And as their churches grow and people tell them how good they are, their focus changes from pleasing God and teaching his Word to pleasing the people and keeping them happy and coming back so they can have a big church and look good in the eyes of their peers and their congregations.
I would venture to guess that before every fall of a church leader, erosion occurred in their thinking. Rather than seeing themselves as servants of the Most High God, they began to see themselves as pretty smart and deserving of the praise they get from people. And since it feels good to get praise from others, they keep finding ways to get praise from people rather than from God. Sometimes they even go so far as to think they have special power over the people. They become the king in their little kingdom.
Saul had everything. He was tall, good looking, and chosen by God to be king. But he forgot his place and began to think he was a god and could do whatever he wanted. In fact, sometimes he thought he was smarter than God himself and didn’t follow the instructions he was given from God. I believe that was his downfall. And when confronted by Samuel, he blamed the people rather than confessing his own sin. In that slippery slide, he went from being used powerfully by God to being useless to God.
That is frightening. Leadership is a scary thing! Success is something we strive for, yet it is success that can cause us to not see we are standing on the edge of a cliff and we walk right over the edge.
Oh Lord, help me to never be confused about where success comes from. It is from your hand and not from mine. My desire is to labor with you and to follow your leading, to remain humble before you. All that I am comes from you and belongs to you. Amen.
Friday, June 11, 2010
Receiving God's Gifts
“Hear, O my people, and I will warn you – if you would but listen to me, O Israel! You shall have no foreign god among you; you shall not bow down to an alien god. I am the Lord your God, who brought you up out of Egypt. Open wide your mouth and I will fill it.” Psalm 81:8-10
Over the years, we have had a variety of birds build nests and care for their young near the doors of our houses. As we come and go, we watch the bird build the nest, hatch their eggs and feed their young until they are ready to leave the nest. All baby birds have an instinct to open their mouths wide when they are hungry. In fact, some of them even sleep with their mouths wide open. They don’t want to miss the food that mama bird brings to them.
So when I read this Psalm today, I pictured a baby bird in the nest with its mouth wide open waiting to be fed. And I wondered how I am to be like a baby bird? A baby bird can do nothing to take care of itself – except open wide its mouth and wait on its mother to feed it. And the mother and father birds feed all the young in the nest… and feed… and feed… and feed… Soon the baby birds grow up and become mature birds because of all the good food they are getting.
Birds don’t normally feed each other’s young. A Robin doesn’t feed a Cardinal and a Cardinal doesn’t feed a Carolina Wren. Each bird knows just what their young need. So when that little mouth is hanging wide open, mama and papa put in just the right stuff to help their young grow.
When I come before God each day, I wonder how much like a baby bird I am. Am I completely trusting in him as my provider and the one who keeps me safe? Am I looking to him to satisfy my needs? Am I eating what he brings me and maturing in my faith? Or am I looking other places to have my needs met – my spouse? my children? my friends? the government? comfort food? my doctor? All of those people or things have a place in my life, but not to completely satisfy my hunger. Only God can do that. And I will never be satisfied unless I let God fill me.
Do I open my mouth – maybe even sleep with it open – so God can fill me? Or am I distracted by other people and things and try to leave the nest before I am ‘satisfied’ with God’s provision. Will I become the bird that is maturing and flying high or will I be the baby bird sitting on the ground because I fell out of the nest and now am at great risk because of my own foolishness.
This is another beautiful lesson on trusting God. As I spend time reading and studying the Bible (which I believe is his written Word he gave us to help us find our way back to him), and as I meditate on these words, I continue to grow in my trust in him. As I am fed by time in nature, instruction from others who have matured in their faith, and especially by my own time spent with him, I continue to grow in my trust in him. And trust in him brings peace to each day – no matter how difficult or busy the circumstances. I know that he will give me just what I need to be satisfied each day.
Thank you, God, for caring for me so completely and so continuously. Today may I use what you give me to give back to you and to others. Amen.
Over the years, we have had a variety of birds build nests and care for their young near the doors of our houses. As we come and go, we watch the bird build the nest, hatch their eggs and feed their young until they are ready to leave the nest. All baby birds have an instinct to open their mouths wide when they are hungry. In fact, some of them even sleep with their mouths wide open. They don’t want to miss the food that mama bird brings to them.
So when I read this Psalm today, I pictured a baby bird in the nest with its mouth wide open waiting to be fed. And I wondered how I am to be like a baby bird? A baby bird can do nothing to take care of itself – except open wide its mouth and wait on its mother to feed it. And the mother and father birds feed all the young in the nest… and feed… and feed… and feed… Soon the baby birds grow up and become mature birds because of all the good food they are getting.
Birds don’t normally feed each other’s young. A Robin doesn’t feed a Cardinal and a Cardinal doesn’t feed a Carolina Wren. Each bird knows just what their young need. So when that little mouth is hanging wide open, mama and papa put in just the right stuff to help their young grow.
When I come before God each day, I wonder how much like a baby bird I am. Am I completely trusting in him as my provider and the one who keeps me safe? Am I looking to him to satisfy my needs? Am I eating what he brings me and maturing in my faith? Or am I looking other places to have my needs met – my spouse? my children? my friends? the government? comfort food? my doctor? All of those people or things have a place in my life, but not to completely satisfy my hunger. Only God can do that. And I will never be satisfied unless I let God fill me.
Do I open my mouth – maybe even sleep with it open – so God can fill me? Or am I distracted by other people and things and try to leave the nest before I am ‘satisfied’ with God’s provision. Will I become the bird that is maturing and flying high or will I be the baby bird sitting on the ground because I fell out of the nest and now am at great risk because of my own foolishness.
This is another beautiful lesson on trusting God. As I spend time reading and studying the Bible (which I believe is his written Word he gave us to help us find our way back to him), and as I meditate on these words, I continue to grow in my trust in him. As I am fed by time in nature, instruction from others who have matured in their faith, and especially by my own time spent with him, I continue to grow in my trust in him. And trust in him brings peace to each day – no matter how difficult or busy the circumstances. I know that he will give me just what I need to be satisfied each day.
Thank you, God, for caring for me so completely and so continuously. Today may I use what you give me to give back to you and to others. Amen.
Thursday, June 10, 2010
Who is this Jesus?
Since the writers of the Gospels are focused on telling us about Jesus, I decided to ask the question, “Who is this Jesus?” as I was doing my fast read through Mark. There is no question that this is someone I want to know and have as a friend and mentor. So what makes him so attractive?
He is confident in his teaching and actions – not wishy-washy. I can count on him to be the same person tomorrow as he is today. “The people were amazed at his teaching, because he taught them as one who had authority, not as the teachers of the law. Mark 1:22
He draws his strength and focus from his relationship with God, the Father – not others, not the news, not his morning coffee. “Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.” Mark 1:35 I wonder what would happen if we all started our day in this solitary place with God…
Jesus was filled with compassion. He couldn’t walk by someone in need without touching them, healing them, or blessing them. He was never too busy to show compassion. “A man with leprosy came to him and begged him on his knees, ‘If you are willing, you can make me clean.’ Filled with compassion, Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. ‘I am willing,’ he said. ‘Be clean!’ Immediately the leprosy left him and he was cured.” Mark 1:40-42
He was a healer, not just of physical diseases, but a healer of the body, the soul, the emotion – whatever part of themselves people brought to him for healing and more. When friends brought a paralytic to him for healing, he forgave the man’s sins. He also healed him physically, but Jesus knew the man needed more than that. (Mark 2:1-12)
Jesus was a wise teacher and mentor to those who followed him. Crowds gathered around him and several individuals followed him and sat under his teaching. He told parables to help the people understand and remember what he was teaching. And the disciples developed faith and leadership as he set up learning opportunities for them. (Mark 6:6-13)
Jesus was distressed at stubborn hearts when the religious leaders followed their own interpretations of the Law and hurt people rather than helping them. “He looked around at them in anger and, deeply distressed at their stubborn hearts…” Mark 3:5
Jesus was full of power. He calmed a storm that had frightened the disciples who were used to the squalls that came up on the sea. “They were terrified and asked each other, ‘Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!’” Mark 4: 41 He was stopped only by lack of faith. “He could not do any miracles there, except lay his hands on a few sick people and heal them. And he was amazed at their lack of faith.” Mark 6:5-6
While he was teaching the crowds, he also satisfied their hunger. Mark 6:30-44 Jesus satisfies the hunger of souls as well as meeting the physical needs.
Jesus is God’s Son. Several of the disciples got a firsthand introduction on the mountain when Moses and Elijah showed up and God said (referring to Jesus), "This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to him!" Mark 9:7
Jesus is our Savior, full of love, mercy and grace, a servant of all. He cares deeply about those society tends to trample (the poor, the fatherless, the widow) and has no tolerance for those who use their religion to take advantage of others. (Mark 11:12-20, Chapters 14-16)
Jesus could always see into the heart/motivation of people and prescribed just what the person needed to have peace with God. (Mark 10:17-22)
This Jesus is someone I want to be close to. I want his goodness to rub off on me – to challenge me and to put light on the areas of my life that need changing and to encourage me to be the person I can only be with his great influence in my life. As I let his love wash over me and consume me, I find that I have more love, compassion, mercy and grace for others. His wisdom is constantly available to me when I call out to him. My desire is to become more like Jesus, my Teacher, my Mentor, my Friend.
He is confident in his teaching and actions – not wishy-washy. I can count on him to be the same person tomorrow as he is today. “The people were amazed at his teaching, because he taught them as one who had authority, not as the teachers of the law. Mark 1:22
He draws his strength and focus from his relationship with God, the Father – not others, not the news, not his morning coffee. “Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.” Mark 1:35 I wonder what would happen if we all started our day in this solitary place with God…
Jesus was filled with compassion. He couldn’t walk by someone in need without touching them, healing them, or blessing them. He was never too busy to show compassion. “A man with leprosy came to him and begged him on his knees, ‘If you are willing, you can make me clean.’ Filled with compassion, Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. ‘I am willing,’ he said. ‘Be clean!’ Immediately the leprosy left him and he was cured.” Mark 1:40-42
He was a healer, not just of physical diseases, but a healer of the body, the soul, the emotion – whatever part of themselves people brought to him for healing and more. When friends brought a paralytic to him for healing, he forgave the man’s sins. He also healed him physically, but Jesus knew the man needed more than that. (Mark 2:1-12)
Jesus was a wise teacher and mentor to those who followed him. Crowds gathered around him and several individuals followed him and sat under his teaching. He told parables to help the people understand and remember what he was teaching. And the disciples developed faith and leadership as he set up learning opportunities for them. (Mark 6:6-13)
Jesus was distressed at stubborn hearts when the religious leaders followed their own interpretations of the Law and hurt people rather than helping them. “He looked around at them in anger and, deeply distressed at their stubborn hearts…” Mark 3:5
Jesus was full of power. He calmed a storm that had frightened the disciples who were used to the squalls that came up on the sea. “They were terrified and asked each other, ‘Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!’” Mark 4: 41 He was stopped only by lack of faith. “He could not do any miracles there, except lay his hands on a few sick people and heal them. And he was amazed at their lack of faith.” Mark 6:5-6
While he was teaching the crowds, he also satisfied their hunger. Mark 6:30-44 Jesus satisfies the hunger of souls as well as meeting the physical needs.
Jesus is God’s Son. Several of the disciples got a firsthand introduction on the mountain when Moses and Elijah showed up and God said (referring to Jesus), "This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to him!" Mark 9:7
Jesus is our Savior, full of love, mercy and grace, a servant of all. He cares deeply about those society tends to trample (the poor, the fatherless, the widow) and has no tolerance for those who use their religion to take advantage of others. (Mark 11:12-20, Chapters 14-16)
Jesus could always see into the heart/motivation of people and prescribed just what the person needed to have peace with God. (Mark 10:17-22)
This Jesus is someone I want to be close to. I want his goodness to rub off on me – to challenge me and to put light on the areas of my life that need changing and to encourage me to be the person I can only be with his great influence in my life. As I let his love wash over me and consume me, I find that I have more love, compassion, mercy and grace for others. His wisdom is constantly available to me when I call out to him. My desire is to become more like Jesus, my Teacher, my Mentor, my Friend.
Monday, June 7, 2010
Tension in God's Family
There is a tension between Paul and the ‘chosen disciples’ of Jesus Christ. While we don’t hear too much about it from Peter or James or John, Paul talks about it in Galatians. First, Paul clearly stated his calling which was revealed to him through Jesus Christ while on the road to Damascus. We sometimes think that Paul got up from his meeting with Ananias and took off on his missionary journeys. While he likely shared what happened to him and began sharing the gospel with others, it seems that he took a few years to ‘restudy’ all that he knew from Scripture and reorganize it in his mind with his newfound faith in Jesus Christ. It was three years before he actually went to Jerusalem to “get acquainted with Peter” and spend a couple of weeks with him likely comparing notes and checking himself on his interpretations (Galatians 1:18). The tension: The disciples were called, but Paul also was clearly called.
Fourteen years later, Paul returned to Jerusalem, this time clearly to recheck what he understood and was teaching with the leadership in the church in Jerusalem. As they left that meeting, Paul says of the leadership in Jerusalem, “All they asked was that we should continue to remember the poor, the very thing I was eager to do.” Galatians 2:10 The tension: Jewish traditions vs. freedom in Christ.
A third tension, very related to the second tension, also comes out as Paul speaks to the Galatians because of the confusion or uncertainty of what is required to be a follower of Christ. Is it following the law (the circumcision group) or is it justified by grace – faith in Jesus Christ? It seems that there is already a ‘denominational’ split here and Paul is trying very hard to prevent it. This comes out in his discussion of the law vs. grace. While the Jews are trying to force circumcision on the Gentiles, Paul says, “Again I declare to every man who lets himself be circumcised that he is obligated to obey the whole law.” Galatians 5:3 In other words, if our salvation is hinged on any part of the law, we need to perfectly obey the whole law – which we have proven over and over we are not capable of. The tension: The Law of the Jews; salvation through grace for all.
This third tension comes out when Peter comes to visit and before other Jews show up, he is comfortable eating with Gentiles. But once the Jews show up, they all pull back, including Peter. So Paul confronts Peter with all of them present and says, “Let’s talk about this… Why was Christ crucified if we can be saved by the law?” And then he goes on to talk about what it means to be crucified with Christ. “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing.” Galatians 2:20-21
Paul then uses Scripture – the story of Abraham, Isaac and Ishmael – to further talk about being children of God. “You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.” Galatians 3:26-29
Once Paul is very clear where he stands in these tensions, he goes on to teach what it means to have freedom in Christ. “For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.” Galatians 5:6 “You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love. The entire law is summed up in a single command: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ If you keep on biting and devouring each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.” Galatians 5:13-15
The freedom in Christ that we often miss is the freedom to not be focused on ourselves and our self-centered desires, but rather to love others as Christ loves us and loves them. It is a wonderful peace that comes when I no longer have to compare myself with others or get upset when others don’t cater to my wishes. This freedom comes from caring more about what God thinks than what people think.
When Paul gives his list of things we do in the sinful nature, we tend to see drunkenness and debauchery , pat ourselves on the back for not having problems with that, and ignore “discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy…” Galatians 5:20-21 Yet, I wonder how many times our churches are torn apart by just those things. If we are truly living in the spirit of freedom in Christ, we will see “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.” Galatians 5:22 Those come from the transformation that happens when we fully give up our own desires and take on the desires of Christ. Nearly every argument and faction that occurs in our churches, neighborhoods, and families comes from selfish desires clashing with each other. I wonder what it would be like to be part of a church that is full of freedom in Christ (Galatians 5:22) rather than sinful nature (Galatians 5:20-21).
The final tension, then, resides within me. Will I cave in to selfish desires or will I allow God’s spirit to fill me with his desires and experience peace, joy, patience, self-control. Will I choose to live by the law with tidy rules to follow each day (oops, messed up with that one…oh well, no one’s perfect) or will I choose to live in God’s grace being thankful for what Christ did for me and striving to live every breath making sure others know of this freedom in Christ.
Fourteen years later, Paul returned to Jerusalem, this time clearly to recheck what he understood and was teaching with the leadership in the church in Jerusalem. As they left that meeting, Paul says of the leadership in Jerusalem, “All they asked was that we should continue to remember the poor, the very thing I was eager to do.” Galatians 2:10 The tension: Jewish traditions vs. freedom in Christ.
A third tension, very related to the second tension, also comes out as Paul speaks to the Galatians because of the confusion or uncertainty of what is required to be a follower of Christ. Is it following the law (the circumcision group) or is it justified by grace – faith in Jesus Christ? It seems that there is already a ‘denominational’ split here and Paul is trying very hard to prevent it. This comes out in his discussion of the law vs. grace. While the Jews are trying to force circumcision on the Gentiles, Paul says, “Again I declare to every man who lets himself be circumcised that he is obligated to obey the whole law.” Galatians 5:3 In other words, if our salvation is hinged on any part of the law, we need to perfectly obey the whole law – which we have proven over and over we are not capable of. The tension: The Law of the Jews; salvation through grace for all.
This third tension comes out when Peter comes to visit and before other Jews show up, he is comfortable eating with Gentiles. But once the Jews show up, they all pull back, including Peter. So Paul confronts Peter with all of them present and says, “Let’s talk about this… Why was Christ crucified if we can be saved by the law?” And then he goes on to talk about what it means to be crucified with Christ. “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing.” Galatians 2:20-21
Paul then uses Scripture – the story of Abraham, Isaac and Ishmael – to further talk about being children of God. “You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.” Galatians 3:26-29
Once Paul is very clear where he stands in these tensions, he goes on to teach what it means to have freedom in Christ. “For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.” Galatians 5:6 “You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love. The entire law is summed up in a single command: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ If you keep on biting and devouring each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.” Galatians 5:13-15
The freedom in Christ that we often miss is the freedom to not be focused on ourselves and our self-centered desires, but rather to love others as Christ loves us and loves them. It is a wonderful peace that comes when I no longer have to compare myself with others or get upset when others don’t cater to my wishes. This freedom comes from caring more about what God thinks than what people think.
When Paul gives his list of things we do in the sinful nature, we tend to see drunkenness and debauchery , pat ourselves on the back for not having problems with that, and ignore “discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy…” Galatians 5:20-21 Yet, I wonder how many times our churches are torn apart by just those things. If we are truly living in the spirit of freedom in Christ, we will see “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.” Galatians 5:22 Those come from the transformation that happens when we fully give up our own desires and take on the desires of Christ. Nearly every argument and faction that occurs in our churches, neighborhoods, and families comes from selfish desires clashing with each other. I wonder what it would be like to be part of a church that is full of freedom in Christ (Galatians 5:22) rather than sinful nature (Galatians 5:20-21).
The final tension, then, resides within me. Will I cave in to selfish desires or will I allow God’s spirit to fill me with his desires and experience peace, joy, patience, self-control. Will I choose to live by the law with tidy rules to follow each day (oops, messed up with that one…oh well, no one’s perfect) or will I choose to live in God’s grace being thankful for what Christ did for me and striving to live every breath making sure others know of this freedom in Christ.
Thursday, June 3, 2010
Pass It On
Throughout the book of Judges, the Israelites frequently lose their way and various judges bring them back to God. Within a few years of that judge dying, the people are lost again. It brings to mind a verse from Proverbs. “Where there is no revelation, the people cast off restraint; but blessed is he who keeps the law.” Proverbs 29:18 The King James version says, “Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.” One of the jobs of leaders is to keep the people focused on the vision. Where are we headed?
After Moses and Joshua both died, Israel did not have consistent strong leadership holding them together. They had multiplied in number and were spread out over the Promised Land. They failed to rid the land of the inhabitants and began to take on the foreign gods and forgot about their God who had freed them from slavery and led them to the Promised Land. Periodically, God called out leaders to turn their hearts back to him. And so we have the stories of Gideon and Sampson we teach in Sunday School and children especially like to imitate these ‘superheroes’.
But even in those stories there is a lot of unsettling behavior and conflict among the Israelites – horrible stories of prostitution, sexual abuses, civil war, and intermarriage with the nations they were to have driven out. My stomach turns as I read these portions of Scripture. The Israelites lost sight of their laws and of their God who had led them in previous generations. And their behaviors and lifestyles rapidly deteriorated leading them to come under enemy control.
I wonder, did God leave them or did they leave God? Or did God leave them to their own devices so that they would rediscover their need for him? “Again the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord, so the Lord delivered them into the hands of the Philistines for forty years.” Judges 13:1 That is the lead in to the story of Sampson.
And I wonder, how did the Israelites get so far from God so quickly? In just a couple of generations, they had completely forgotten what the Lord had done for them as a people. “After that whole generation had been gathered to their families, another generation grew up, who knew neither the Lord nor what he had done for Israel.” Judges 2:10
“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” II Timothy 3:16-17 So what am I to learn from the book of Judges? I can’t help but think of God’s instructions through Moses. “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.” Deuteronomy 6:4-9
The only way to keep the future generations from falling into deep sin is to love the Lord my God with all my heart, soul and strength. In doing that, I will instruct my children by the way I live my life. And as I talk about my God and what he means to me, my children will come to know him as their God as well. Maybe this is why in Revelation it says, “So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth.” Revelation 3:16 Taking our children to Sunday School is not enough. Saying memorized prayers at mealtime and/or bedtime is not enough. Our children need to see our dependence upon God; they need to see our active relationship with God and our service to God as we care for those God loves – the widow, the fatherless, the poor, etc. They need to be taught to have an active relationship with God as well. When they see our love for God and how much God loves us, they learn to love him as well.
In our culture, we see so much unnecessary suffering because people have turned their hearts away from God. We have the ebb and flow of revivals as periodically strong evangelists travel and point the way back to God. But within that, just as within the times of the Judges in Israel, there are individuals who love God with all their heart, soul and strength and continue to pass on that love from generation to generation. I’m so grateful my parents did that for me. Now it is up to me to pass that on to the next generation – and to everyone that God places within my sphere of influence.
After Moses and Joshua both died, Israel did not have consistent strong leadership holding them together. They had multiplied in number and were spread out over the Promised Land. They failed to rid the land of the inhabitants and began to take on the foreign gods and forgot about their God who had freed them from slavery and led them to the Promised Land. Periodically, God called out leaders to turn their hearts back to him. And so we have the stories of Gideon and Sampson we teach in Sunday School and children especially like to imitate these ‘superheroes’.
But even in those stories there is a lot of unsettling behavior and conflict among the Israelites – horrible stories of prostitution, sexual abuses, civil war, and intermarriage with the nations they were to have driven out. My stomach turns as I read these portions of Scripture. The Israelites lost sight of their laws and of their God who had led them in previous generations. And their behaviors and lifestyles rapidly deteriorated leading them to come under enemy control.
I wonder, did God leave them or did they leave God? Or did God leave them to their own devices so that they would rediscover their need for him? “Again the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord, so the Lord delivered them into the hands of the Philistines for forty years.” Judges 13:1 That is the lead in to the story of Sampson.
And I wonder, how did the Israelites get so far from God so quickly? In just a couple of generations, they had completely forgotten what the Lord had done for them as a people. “After that whole generation had been gathered to their families, another generation grew up, who knew neither the Lord nor what he had done for Israel.” Judges 2:10
“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” II Timothy 3:16-17 So what am I to learn from the book of Judges? I can’t help but think of God’s instructions through Moses. “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.” Deuteronomy 6:4-9
The only way to keep the future generations from falling into deep sin is to love the Lord my God with all my heart, soul and strength. In doing that, I will instruct my children by the way I live my life. And as I talk about my God and what he means to me, my children will come to know him as their God as well. Maybe this is why in Revelation it says, “So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth.” Revelation 3:16 Taking our children to Sunday School is not enough. Saying memorized prayers at mealtime and/or bedtime is not enough. Our children need to see our dependence upon God; they need to see our active relationship with God and our service to God as we care for those God loves – the widow, the fatherless, the poor, etc. They need to be taught to have an active relationship with God as well. When they see our love for God and how much God loves us, they learn to love him as well.
In our culture, we see so much unnecessary suffering because people have turned their hearts away from God. We have the ebb and flow of revivals as periodically strong evangelists travel and point the way back to God. But within that, just as within the times of the Judges in Israel, there are individuals who love God with all their heart, soul and strength and continue to pass on that love from generation to generation. I’m so grateful my parents did that for me. Now it is up to me to pass that on to the next generation – and to everyone that God places within my sphere of influence.
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
Suffering for the Sins of Others
I can remember several times through my growing up years when I have been punished for something others did. Once as a child when one of my siblings did something and wouldn’t confess, we all sat on chairs for a couple of hours and when no confession came, we were all punished. Another time in high school, a fellow classmate did something and the teacher kept the entire class after the bell had rung waiting for a confession that never came. And once in college, a student in the class stole the professor’s notebook early in the semester. The professor punished the entire class the whole semester by refusing to teach well and giving tests that covered material not taught. That was the longest ‘community punishment’ I ever endured. But some people sit in prison for many years of their lives because the courts were unable to sort out the truth from the lies only to find out 5 or 10 years later that they were innocent.
God had already shown the Israelites he was looking out for them. First there were the plagues in Egypt that they did not suffer though Pharaoh and the Egyptians did, the final plague being the most devastating when the first born all died. Then he parted the Red Sea for them to cross and gave them light while causing darkness over the Egyptians and finally closing the Sea over them when they kept coming after the Israelites. God provided manna and quail and water for them on their journey and their clothes and sandals did not wear out. Yet, when 12 spies were sent out (one from each tribe), only Joshua and Caleb returned with a good encouraging report that God would be with them and they could take over the land that was promised to them. The other 10 saw the descendants of Anak and how big they were, they panicked and caused the people to panic and they refused to go on. Joshua and Caleb endured 40 years of wandering in the desert for something the others did. That is a long time to be punished for someone else’s wrongdoing.
Joshua became Moses’ assistant and while we don’t hear much about Caleb during those years of wandering, I can’t help but believe he was close by. When it came time for Moses to die, God put Joshua in leadership to take the Israelites into the Promised Land. God made sure the Israelites knew that Joshua was his chosen leader for them. And he made sure Joshua knew he, God, was with him all the way. “As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you or forsake you.” Joshua 1:5 And then, over and over throughout his time of leadership, God said to him, “Be strong and courageous,” and Joshua was. As they began their journey into the Promised Land, God told Joshua, “Today I will begin to exalt you in the eyes of all Israel, so they may know that I am with you as I was with Moses.” Joshua 3:7 And that is exactly what happened. This time it was the Jordan that God parted for them.
When it came time to divide the land, Caleb got the choice land of Hebron. Moses had promised him, “He will see it, and I will give him and his descendants the land he set his feet on, because he followed the Lord wholeheartedly." Deuteronomy 1:36 Caleb was over 80 years old when he finally got there. But he was no more intimidated by the descendants of Anak than when he was 40. He understood God was with them and would go before them. He drove out the descendants of Anak and took the land and settled there. What a wonderful gift God had given him because he followed God with his whole heart.
When I try to put myself in the place of Joshua and Caleb, I wonder if I would have had the patience with the people who were rebelling and not ‘coming along’ with the plan – God’s plan – or if I would have walked away. As far as we know, once the spies returned only Moses, Joshua and Caleb believed God would give them the land. The people rebelled. And their punishment was 40 years in the desert until the generation that rebelled died off and their children would be the ones to go on. Joshua and Caleb had to wait (and endure the punishment of the others) for 40 years before the promise was fulfilled to them. It took 40 years for the people of Israel to get with the plan.
This seems to be a good study of leadership in the church. If the leadership in the church is very sure where God is leading, we need to not give up and give in to the people, but continue to lead. Maybe God is waiting for a stubborn, rebellious generation to die off before he will take the church where he is headed with them. If we are wholeheartedly seeking after God, he will lead us and stick with us the whole way. God doesn’t do everything in one generation. He works from generation to generation.
Unfortunately, people often do not respect God’s calling and if the leaders are not giving them what they want, they ‘fire’ them. What a messed up church we have become! It is so important for leaders to stay whole-hearted and steadfastly seeking after God. Leadership today, as always, calls for great wisdom and that wisdom comes only from God. And maybe we don’t have many church leaders who have parted seas or rivers, but if we are seeking whole-heartedly after God, we will see when God has ordained someone to lead. They will not fear the 'giants' of this land and they will move forward with courage following God as he goes before them showing them the way. Very likely, they will end up suffering for the sins of others as they wait patiently for people to get past their rebellion or give the next generation a try at trusting God with their lives.
I wonder where I fit into this… Leader? Encourager? Rebellious one? Maybe in different situations I fall into various places. I think I have a lot to learn from Moses, Joshua, and Caleb. I’ll be pondering this one for a while.
God had already shown the Israelites he was looking out for them. First there were the plagues in Egypt that they did not suffer though Pharaoh and the Egyptians did, the final plague being the most devastating when the first born all died. Then he parted the Red Sea for them to cross and gave them light while causing darkness over the Egyptians and finally closing the Sea over them when they kept coming after the Israelites. God provided manna and quail and water for them on their journey and their clothes and sandals did not wear out. Yet, when 12 spies were sent out (one from each tribe), only Joshua and Caleb returned with a good encouraging report that God would be with them and they could take over the land that was promised to them. The other 10 saw the descendants of Anak and how big they were, they panicked and caused the people to panic and they refused to go on. Joshua and Caleb endured 40 years of wandering in the desert for something the others did. That is a long time to be punished for someone else’s wrongdoing.
Joshua became Moses’ assistant and while we don’t hear much about Caleb during those years of wandering, I can’t help but believe he was close by. When it came time for Moses to die, God put Joshua in leadership to take the Israelites into the Promised Land. God made sure the Israelites knew that Joshua was his chosen leader for them. And he made sure Joshua knew he, God, was with him all the way. “As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you or forsake you.” Joshua 1:5 And then, over and over throughout his time of leadership, God said to him, “Be strong and courageous,” and Joshua was. As they began their journey into the Promised Land, God told Joshua, “Today I will begin to exalt you in the eyes of all Israel, so they may know that I am with you as I was with Moses.” Joshua 3:7 And that is exactly what happened. This time it was the Jordan that God parted for them.
When it came time to divide the land, Caleb got the choice land of Hebron. Moses had promised him, “He will see it, and I will give him and his descendants the land he set his feet on, because he followed the Lord wholeheartedly." Deuteronomy 1:36 Caleb was over 80 years old when he finally got there. But he was no more intimidated by the descendants of Anak than when he was 40. He understood God was with them and would go before them. He drove out the descendants of Anak and took the land and settled there. What a wonderful gift God had given him because he followed God with his whole heart.
When I try to put myself in the place of Joshua and Caleb, I wonder if I would have had the patience with the people who were rebelling and not ‘coming along’ with the plan – God’s plan – or if I would have walked away. As far as we know, once the spies returned only Moses, Joshua and Caleb believed God would give them the land. The people rebelled. And their punishment was 40 years in the desert until the generation that rebelled died off and their children would be the ones to go on. Joshua and Caleb had to wait (and endure the punishment of the others) for 40 years before the promise was fulfilled to them. It took 40 years for the people of Israel to get with the plan.
This seems to be a good study of leadership in the church. If the leadership in the church is very sure where God is leading, we need to not give up and give in to the people, but continue to lead. Maybe God is waiting for a stubborn, rebellious generation to die off before he will take the church where he is headed with them. If we are wholeheartedly seeking after God, he will lead us and stick with us the whole way. God doesn’t do everything in one generation. He works from generation to generation.
Unfortunately, people often do not respect God’s calling and if the leaders are not giving them what they want, they ‘fire’ them. What a messed up church we have become! It is so important for leaders to stay whole-hearted and steadfastly seeking after God. Leadership today, as always, calls for great wisdom and that wisdom comes only from God. And maybe we don’t have many church leaders who have parted seas or rivers, but if we are seeking whole-heartedly after God, we will see when God has ordained someone to lead. They will not fear the 'giants' of this land and they will move forward with courage following God as he goes before them showing them the way. Very likely, they will end up suffering for the sins of others as they wait patiently for people to get past their rebellion or give the next generation a try at trusting God with their lives.
I wonder where I fit into this… Leader? Encourager? Rebellious one? Maybe in different situations I fall into various places. I think I have a lot to learn from Moses, Joshua, and Caleb. I’ll be pondering this one for a while.
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